Shoemaking method



NOV. 26, i940. Q E MUSE-5553K v 2,223,121

SHOEMAKING METHOD Filed Jan. 8, 1.940

INVENTOR. 2f-0R61? E. Nasa/Saw,

Patented Nov. 26, 1940 UNITED STATES SHOEMAKIN G METHOD George E. Musebeck, Danville, Ill., assignor to Musebeck Shoe Company; Danvil1e, lll.a corporation Applieation January 8.19.40', .serial Nu. 312,886 i 2 claims. (C1. 12-147) This invention relates to anv orthopedic shoe especially adapted for womens wear and a method of manufacturing the same.

In the manufacture of orthopedicA shoes for women great difliculty hasbeen encountered in Aproviding the necessary strength and stiffness in a shoe suiciently light in weight for vwomens wear. If the shoe is sufficiently strong to yhave the desired orthopedic eifectit isordinarily heavy enough to be Very tiring to the wearer. v The greater part of the weight is found in the heavy orthopedic outsole and theleather heel lift commonly employed. The use of lighter wooden heel `lifts for womensorthopedic shoes has not heretofore been successful dueto the fact thatithe heavy pressure required to make the outsole and insole conform to the shape of the upper face of the heel lift when placed in a heeling machine are too great for a wooden lift to withstandand considerable breakage results. Such conformity is necessary, otherwise portions of the outsole and insole are not rigidly supported by the heel lift and tend to collapse in the use ofl the shoe, and the rear end of the metallic shank stiffener extending into the heel portion of the shoe` is not rigidly held in place and tends to work up and down in the use of the shoe.

Even with leather heel lifts it is difficult to conform a heavy orthopedic outsole to the upper surface of the heel lift and it has been found necessary to reduce the width of the outsole rabove the heel lift to make such conformity possible. Such reduction introduces a point of weakness at the breast of the heel. The difliculty of conforming the outsole to the heel is increased by the fact that the work can ordinarily not be done while the outsole is in temper, otherwise the drying of the outsole causes it to check away from the heel lift and cause unsightly cracks between the two.

One object of the present invention is to produce a light weight orthopedic shoe having the strength and orthopedic qualities of heavier shoes found in the prior art.

Another object of the invention is to overcome the difficulties in conforming outsole to heel lift.

Another object of the invention is to produce the necessary rigidity for the heel portion of the 55 and anchoring the shank stiffener so flrmly in stitchingf shown in broken lines. Fig. 3 is a secshoe without the application of su'flicient pressure ,the heel portion of the shoe that uietendency of the shank to spring is substantially eliminated.

The strength added by the rigid anchorage of the shank stiffener compensates for the reduced Aweight of the outsole in the shank portion. The 5 Weakness at the breasty of the heel is thereby eliminated. ByA these changes a shoe weighing 14 ounces has been reduced to 101/2 ounces in weight, .a reduction of twenty-rive percent. L15

A The necessary support for the outsole on the heel without suflicient presure to breaka wooden .heel lift is secured by, rst, securing the heel While the outsole is still in temper and relatively pliable and finishing the edgeof the outsoleso that no unsightly cracks can be. formed by subsequent checking, and second, by filling whatever inter stices remain between the outsole and heel with ,a fluid or semi-uid material adaptedto harden Aand give a rigid support. Preferably said ma- I. 5

terial is-a liquid glue and. is injected under pressurethrough a suitable opening in the heel lift.

Other objects and features of theinvention will Abe readily understood from. the accompanying drawing and the following'description and claims: 30

'.Fig. 1 is a side view of the lower portion of a shoe construction in accordance with the invenltion. Fig. 2 is a bottom View of the sole vof ,said

shoe with vthe positions of the several rows of tional view taken on the lines 3-3 of Figs. 1 and '35 2 with the parts shown in an abnormally spaced relation for the sake of clearness. Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line ,4-4 of Fig. 2 showing the heel construction.

In the preferred form of the invention shown in the drawing by way-of illustration, there is provided an outsole I0, insole II and upper I2. 'Ihe insole is preferably formed in accordance with my prior Patents 1,916,198 and 1,850,977. The thickness of the outsole is relatively heavy forward of the point A in Fig. 1 and considerably lighter to the rear of that point. The insole is provided with a common form of Goodyear stitching channel I3 about the edge of the forward 50 and shank portions thereof. A welt I4 lies beneath a feather I5 formed in the insole. The insole vI I, upper I2 and welt I4 are secured together about the forward and shank parts of the shoe by a line of Goodyear stitching I6. The

outsole I0 is secured to the welt I4 by a row of stitching I1 co-extensive with the welt.

The usual shank stiffener I9 is also employed between the insole and outsole in the shank of the shoe and extends into the heel portion as seen in Fig. 4.

A heel lift 2U, preferably of wood or some similar light weight material, is formed with a central opening 2I extending vertically rtherethrough and is secured by nails 22 extending completely through the heel lift, outsole and insole and clinched on the upper surface of the insole.

In the manufacture of the shoe theoutsole is formed with the edge of the heel portion unfinished and of proper sizeto extend slightly' beyond the edges of the heel'lift.A Theupper, insole, outsole, shank stiffener and welt are lastedl in the usual manner, the outsole being tempered prior to the lasting operation. The heel lift is then clamped to the shoe structure with as great .a pressurel as may be .appliedwithoutdanger of breaking the same. The heel'lift is secured by the nails 22 whilethe outsole isstill in temper. The outsole, therefore, conforms more readily to the .upper -face of the ,heel lift than if v it were. allowed to drybefore securingthe heel. `,The dan,- ger of formation of unsightly cracks. between the .outsole and heel by subsequent checking ,isA ,eliminated by finishing the= outer edge offtrhe, sole vabout the heel portion after assembly. This operation is performed by a special cutter 23 shown in Fig. k1 which forms the outeredge of ,the outsole into a roundedbead, leaving a groove 24j'a't the junction of the outsole and heel. Whatever cracks may later lappear aregat the base lof the groove 24 and are invisible. The bead itself `producesl a pleasing ornamental effect.

The difficultyr of conforming the outsole to the upper surface of thelheel lift is increased `by the luse of a shank stiifener covering a portion of the heel. Even when the heel is 4securedtii the shoe while the voutsole is in temper some openings will remain between the insole and outsole 'aboutthe edgeof the, shank stiiener vand between the outsole and heel. In order' to velim-- inate such openings and'to provide rigid -support for the heel of the `foot 4over its entire area, the opening 2I in 'the heel lift is 4partiallyv filled with a liquid glue while the shoe is in van inverted position.Y A closely fittingdplug 2 5 isthen driven into the yopening'and forces the glue lunder hydraulic pressure between theoutsole and heel.

The glue 26 whenit hardens, forms ,a rigid support for the outsole wherever the outsole is not in actual Contact with the vvheel liftA and the hysurface and is firmly pinioned between the in- ,sole .and outsole.

stiffener to work up and down in the use of they Any tendency for the shank shoe is substantially eliminated. The rigid anchorage of thevrear end of the shank stilfener also eliminates tendency of the shank portion .to spring vertically and thus more than compensatesfor the reduced thickness of the outsole in-thatiportion of the shoe.

Theinvention has been described in one of its preferred forms., the details of which may be. varied by those skilled in the art without `departing from the scope of the invention as definedby the appended claims.

The invention. claimed is:

1. In a method of making .a shoehaving a .heel

lift,A an outsole having ,a portion abovesaid heel lift, and an insole, the steps'offorming an opening through said heel lift communicating with the upper surface thereof, securing together ksaid heel lift,outsole, and insole, filling said opening `at least partiallywith a fluidor semi-fluid matelrial adapted to harden, and driving a closely,

fitting lplug into said opening-t`o inject said material under pressure into interstices between said heel lift and outsole prior to hardening, said material after hardening forming a rigid support for said outsole..

2. In a method of makingv a shoe having a heel lift, an outsole having a portion above said heel lift, a shank stiener extending over said heel lift, and an insole, the steps of forming an opening through said heel lift communicating with the upper surface thereof, securing together said heel lift, outsole, shank stiffener and insole, filling said opening'atleast partially with a iiuid or semi-Huid material adapted to"harden, and driving a closely fitting plug into said Aopen- 4ingto inject said material under pressure into interstices betweensaid heel lift and outsoleprior to hardening, said Vmaterial after' hardening forming a rigid support for said outsole .and shank stiffener. l GEORGE E. MUSEBECK. 

